1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer communications with external devices and, more specifically, to an apparatus and a process for controlling the communications between a computer system and an external device.
2. Background Art
Data communication schemes primarily utilize modems in combination with communication software applications in order to transfer information between two sources, typically two computer systems. The general computer system has a central processing unit, a random operating memory, a random access memory, a hard disk drive, an input device, and an output display device. The random operating memory is used to store sets of instructions, such as the basic input ouput system (BIOS). A computer system uses the random access memory as its main memory and the hard disk drive as an auxiliary memory device. Lastly, a computer system generally includes a modem to enable communication with external devices or other computer systems. Computer systems have been interfaced with a wide variety of external devices, such as a second computer system, telephones, facsimile, etc. This is shown, by way of example in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,870 to May entitled Telephone System with Computer Generated Dial Pad and Automatic Dialing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,888 to Panditji entitled A Process and Apparatus for Establishing Compatibility Between Communication Applications Producing AT Commands and a Telephony Application Programming Interface, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,342 to Danner entitled Computer-Telephone Interface Process and Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,876 to Sullivan entitled Audiographics Communication System, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,675 to Bergler entitled Application Program Interface.
I have observed that when a user enters a command into a computer system to establish a connection with an external device, the CPU causes the modem to open a communications line. Then, the CPU instructs the modem to generate the necessary dialing signals and further instructs the modem to verify that the connection has been established. The central processing unit continuously checks until a connection with the desired external device is detected and then causes the modem to execute the commands entered into the computer system by a user. After the commands have been carried out the central processing unit determines whether a terminate connection command has been given and continues to process entered commands until the terminate connection command is entered into the computer system. Once the terminate connection command is detected the modem is instructed to disconnect the line to the external device. However, I have further observed that the above process for controlling computer communications in a Microsoft.RTM. Windows.TM. type of operating system requires complicated programming by a user and that the available functions are not always intuitively obvious to a user. A Microsoft.RTM. Windows.TM. type of operating system is a graphical interface that translates simple icons and menus into disk operating system commands to simplify the operation of computers. I expect that a process for controlling the communications between a computer system and external devices using a control window in a Windows.TM. type operating system would allow for a convenient user interface, that simplifies the entry of commands for a user, and allows for many of the available functions to be more intuitively obvious to a user.